APC Condemns Political Violence In Rivers

BEVERLY HILLS, September 25, (THEWILL) - The Rivers State chapter of the All Progressives Congress (APC) Thursday condemned what it described as the ongoing political violence in the state.

In a statement issued by its State Publicity Secretary, Chris Finebone, the party expressed deep worry and sadness over 'the eventual resort to member-on-member violence by some elements in the Rivers State chapter of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) as demonstrated two days ago at Delta Hotels premises in Port Harcourt.'

According to the statement, 'Our concern stems from the fact that our party believes that politics in any party anywhere in the 21st Century should be devoid of all forms of violence.

'We believe that politics should largely be ruled by contest of and superiority of ideas; we believe that politics should rely on the deployment of decent arguments and logic rather than the exhibition of brute force.

'But more than anything else, the peculiar nature and circumstances of our dear Rivers State makes a resort to violence by the political class an ignominious and unacceptable behaviour.

'We should build rather than destroy our delicate heterogeneous society where the seeming weaknesses of the minorities provide strength for the majority groups; where our differences and diversity have become a source of our unity.'

The party stated that “Rather than rejoice and make merry over the self-destruct morass, the opposition party in Rivers State (the PDP) appears to be descending into, as sign-posted in the violence a section of the party unleashed on some of its members two days ago, we strongly feel that in no situation is the saying, 'the more, the merrier' more succinct than in a multi-party democracy such as ours.”

APC said 'we must put away shame and accept that when we ignore injustice against others around us because such injustice is not directed at our person, someday it will be meted out on us directly.'

According to the party, 'It is on record that we were the index victims of the injustice and violence of the dramatis personae behind the recent member-on-member violence in the PDP in Rivers State. We spoke out loud to the world, but many refused to listen. Now the chicken has come home to roost!'

The Rivers State chapter of APC however called on politicians of all political parties to act responsibly and always remember that the survival, growth and development of the state and the peaceful co-existence of its people, residents and visitors must be the responsibility of all of us. 'We must build Rivers State and not destroy it because we owe a peaceful and progressive Rivers State to ourselves and future generations!' the party said.